Who Needs Free Agency?

[PhoSita]

Let's be honest, when the likes of Corey Brewer, Amir Johnson, Gerald Green, and Robin Lopez are the best your rebuilding team can even schedule for a phone conference, you know it's probably time to just forget about free agency.

So let's take advantage of some other teams looking to retool and make big signings this summer, and also look for opportunities to take advantage of our overflow of guards.


(1) Trade Turner to the Heat for McRoberts, Chalmers, and Birdman and a pick

Help the Heat get cap space to more easily keep Dwayne Wade, using our trade exceptions / cap space to smooth out salary disparity. 

(2) Trade Bradley to the Suns for TJ Warren & a future pick

The Suns are probably trading Bledsoe soon and could use a shooting guard, given that Devin Booker is gonna take some time to grow into a starting role.  Warren is an interesting player who provides size and scoring ability on the wing.  If he ever develops an outside shot, he'll be pretty good.

(3) Trade Smart, Sullinger, and 2016 Brooklyn 1st for Nerlens Noel

The Sixers have a million centers and the Celts have a million guards and power forwards.  Match made in ... tankersville.  Anyways, Noel fills a role the Celtics desperately need fillin', and has higher upside than both Smart and Sullinger.  Philly only considers this deal because they can't really develop 3 centers at once. 

The Brooklyn pick is probably ending up in the middle of the first round, just like all of the other picks the Celts own.  Not a big loss.

(4) Re-sign Crowder

It might cost a pretty penny, but it'll be a decent deal in a couple of years.  If we're gonna spend big bucks on a non-shooting wing, it might as well be a younger guy who has already played well for us rather than a 30 year old journeyman like Brewer.



Here's the only slightly (or majorly) tankerific result:

Rozer / Thomas / Chalmers
Young / Young / Hunter
Crowder / Warren / Wallace
Olynyk / McRoberts / Mickey
Noel / Zeller / Birdman

[Who]

I don't think Phoenix trades Warren and a pick for Bradley. Phoenix are trying to get away from being forced to play small all the time. I think they will want a big SG behind Brandon Knight rather than another undersized one like Bradley. I also think they like Warren's potential.

I like the Lakers trade. I think there is good potential there for a Nick Young + young asset trade. Maybe Julius Randle with Boston sending a first round pick back to LA for Randle.

[PhoSita]

I don't think Phoenix trades Warren and a pick for Bradley. Phoenix are trying to get away from being forced to play small all the time. I think they will want a big SG behind Brandon Knight rather than another undersized one like Bradley. I also think they like Warren's potential.

I'm not married to that part of the plan.  It's basically just an example.

Let's brainstorm: Bradley for a rookie contract player (ideally not a guard) and a pick.  We can take on a veteran expiring to make the salary work if necessary, provided the guy will just rot on the bench.


Any ideas?

[hodgy03038]

No way would I trade Smart + Sullinger + Brooklyn 1st rnd for Noel.

Sullinger would have been a top 5 pick if GMs weren't worried about his back. Smart was pick #6 and who knows what the 1st rnd pick will be. You would want to face these guys for years to come - not me. Smart is tenacious and will improve significantly. Sullinger is a beast on the boards even if undersized vertically.  Don't do it.

[PhoSita]

No way would I trade Smart + Sullinger + Brooklyn 1st rnd for Noel.

Sullinger would have been a top 5 pick if GMs weren't worried about his back. Smart was pick #6 and who knows what the 1st rnd pick will be. You would want to face these guys for years to come - not me. Smart is tenacious and will improve significantly. Sullinger is a beast on the boards even if undersized vertically.  Don't do it.

Sullinger is a borderline starter who may end up dropping out of the league before he hits age 30 solely because of weight issues.  He's ideally a stretch 4 with some post scoring ability and decent rebounding, but he's never been able to hit the outside shot consistently for an extended stretch of time.

Smart is a beefier version of Patrick Beverley.  I love him, but if you can trade an elite defensive role player at combo guard for an elite defensive role player at center, you do it, always.

[hodgy03038]

No way would I trade Smart + Sullinger + Brooklyn 1st rnd for Noel.

Sullinger would have been a top 5 pick if GMs weren't worried about his back. Smart was pick #6 and who knows what the 1st rnd pick will be. You would want to face these guys for years to come - not me. Smart is tenacious and will improve significantly. Sullinger is a beast on the boards even if undersized vertically.  Don't do it.

Sullinger is a borderline starter who may end up dropping out of the league before he hits age 30 solely because of weight issues.  He's ideally a stretch 4 with some post scoring ability and decent rebounding, but he's never been able to hit the outside shot consistently for an extended stretch of time.

Smart is a beefier version of Patrick Beverley.  I love him, but if you can trade an elite defensive role player at combo guard for an elite defensive role player at center, you do it, always.

Agree to disagree.

[PhoSita]

We could also look to get a pick from Miami for taking on, say, Chalmers and McRoberts.

[hodgy03038]

We could also look to get a pick from Miami for taking on, say, Chalmers and McRoberts.

Just what we need is another point guard.

[Celtics4ever]

Sullinger would have been a top 5 pick if GMs weren't worried about his back. Smart was pick #6 and who knows what the 1st rnd pick will be. You would want to face these guys for years to come - not me. Smart is tenacious and will improve significantly. Sullinger is a beast on the boards even if undersized vertically.  Don't do it.

You don't think his lack of athleticism hurt his value?    Now, we know he can't play pro level defense and his three point shot is a poor option offensively.  Despite working on it all summer he shot  .29%.

Sullinger is a borderline starter who may end up dropping out of the league before he hits age 30 solely because of weight issues.  He's ideally a stretch 4 with some post scoring ability and decent rebounding, but he's never been able to hit the outside shot consistently for an extended stretch of time.

I agree with this and no one respects his shot because he really shows little aptitude for it.   I think we should cut ties if we can get something for him.   

Sully's lack of effort on D irked me and obviously Stevens as well when mentioned the team was not going to sacrifice defensive integrity when he came back.  Ainge offered him not once but twice during the draft, and I think that speaks volumes about his days being numbered here.

[Who]

No way would I trade Smart + Sullinger + Brooklyn 1st rnd for Noel.

Sullinger would have been a top 5 pick if GMs weren't worried about his back. Smart was pick #6 and who knows what the 1st rnd pick will be. You would want to face these guys for years to come - not me. Smart is tenacious and will improve significantly. Sullinger is a beast on the boards even if undersized vertically.  Don't do it.

Sullinger is a borderline starter who may end up dropping out of the league before he hits age 30 solely because of weight issues.  He's ideally a stretch 4 with some post scoring ability and decent rebounding, but he's never been able to hit the outside shot consistently for an extended stretch of time.

Smart is a beefier version of Patrick Beverley.  I love him, but if you can trade an elite defensive role player at combo guard for an elite defensive role player at center, you do it, always.

Yeah, I would make that trade if I were Boston.
But I wouldn't make that trade if I were Philly.

That Brooklyn pick is a major variable but I don't like betting on such an unsure thing as them being hit by the injury bug badly enough to get me a high pick ... not when a sure-fire talent like Noel is on the table. I'd rather have the sure thing than go for the home run with Brooklyn's pick.

[PhoSita]

No way would I trade Smart + Sullinger + Brooklyn 1st rnd for Noel.

Sullinger would have been a top 5 pick if GMs weren't worried about his back. Smart was pick #6 and who knows what the 1st rnd pick will be. You would want to face these guys for years to come - not me. Smart is tenacious and will improve significantly. Sullinger is a beast on the boards even if undersized vertically.  Don't do it.

Sullinger is a borderline starter who may end up dropping out of the league before he hits age 30 solely because of weight issues.  He's ideally a stretch 4 with some post scoring ability and decent rebounding, but he's never been able to hit the outside shot consistently for an extended stretch of time.

Smart is a beefier version of Patrick Beverley.  I love him, but if you can trade an elite defensive role player at combo guard for an elite defensive role player at center, you do it, always.

Yeah, I would make that trade if I were Boston.
But I wouldn't make that trade if I were Philly.

That Brooklyn pick is a major variable but I don't like betting on such an unsure thing as them being hit by the injury bug badly enough to get me a high pick ... not when a sure-fire talent like Noel is on the table. I'd rather have the sure thing than go for the home run with Brooklyn's pick.

I guess the question is will Philly consider trading one of their three centers for a collection of lesser assets, or are they so committed to maximizing their assets individually that they'll try to develop 3 centers at once with no decent point guards on the roster?

The trade I proposed for Noel is a major bargain for the Celts, I think, but the idea is that maybe they can take advantage of Philly's situation.  Probably not, though.

I'm just having trouble finding a good trade for Sullinger.  Who might want him?

[PhoSita]

We could also look to get a pick from Miami for taking on, say, Chalmers and McRoberts.

Just what we need is another point guard.

Hey, the roster's gonna be a mess this year, probably.  Might as well embrace it and try to add some value.

I like McRoberts though.

[Moranis]

Didn't the Lakers decline their option on Hill?

[PhoSita]

Didn't the Lakers decline their option on Hill?

Oh! you're right.  I just assumed he was still there when I heard about them being desperate to shed salaries.

Let's officially change that one to Chalmers + McRoberts then.

[KeepRondo]

No way would I trade Smart + Sullinger + Brooklyn 1st rnd for Noel.

Sullinger would have been a top 5 pick if GMs weren't worried about his back. Smart was pick #6 and who knows what the 1st rnd pick will be. You would want to face these guys for years to come - not me. Smart is tenacious and will improve significantly. Sullinger is a beast on the boards even if undersized vertically.  Don't do it.

Sullinger is a borderline starter who may end up dropping out of the league before he hits age 30 solely because of weight issues.  He's ideally a stretch 4 with some post scoring ability and decent rebounding, but he's never been able to hit the outside shot consistently for an extended stretch of time.

Smart is a beefier version of Patrick Beverley.  I love him, but if you can trade an elite defensive role player at combo guard for an elite defensive role player at center, you do it, always.

Yeah, I would make that trade if I were Boston.
But I wouldn't make that trade if I were Philly.

That Brooklyn pick is a major variable but I don't like betting on such an unsure thing as them being hit by the injury bug badly enough to get me a high pick ... not when a sure-fire talent like Noel is on the table. I'd rather have the sure thing than go for the home run with Brooklyn's pick.

I guess the question is will Philly consider trading one of their three centers for a collection of lesser assets, or are they so committed to maximizing their assets individually that they'll try to develop 3 centers at once with no decent point guards on the roster?

The trade I proposed for Noel is a major bargain for the Celts, I think, but the idea is that maybe they can take advantage of Philly's situation.  Probably not, though.

I'm just having trouble finding a good trade for Sullinger.  Who might want him?

I think we are better off waiting it out to get Noel. Next year they will be getting both Saric and Embiid back so they aren't in any rush to open up playing time this year. But they will be after this year.

Also, we might luck out with the Nets pick. If we get the 6-8th pick from the Nets, it will be a lot more valuable then what it is now. We might as well see where the pick falls.

This is probably the point where hopefully Ainge can have the patience to hold onto these picks. Unless an unlikely offer comes up.